لئنْ كانوا النجومَ فأنتَ شمسٌ

لئنْ كانوا النجومَ فأنتَ شمسٌ

ولولا الشمسُ ما حَسُنَ النهارُ

ولولا الشمسُ ما حَسُنَ النهارُ

If they are the stars, then you are a sun.

If they are stars, then you are a sun

Were it not for the sun, the day would have no beauty.

Without the sun, the day would not be beautiful

جمالُكَ غارتِ الأبكارُ منهُ

جمالُكَ غارتِ الأبكارُ منهُ

وأضحتْ لا يقرُّ لها قرارُ

وأضحتْ لا يقرُّ لها قرارُ

Your beauty has made the maidens jealous,

Your beauty, the virgins are jealous of it

and they have become unable to find any rest.

And they cannot settle because of it

فإنْ باهَتْكَ بالحَلْيِ العذارى

فإنْ باهَتْكَ بالحَلْيِ العذارى

فحسبُكَ منه طرفُكَ والعذارُ

فحسبُكَ منه طرفُكَ والعذارُ

So if the maidens vie with you in jewelry,

If you outshine the virgins with ornament

then your gaze and the down on your cheeks are adornment enough.

Your glance and coquetry are enough

وأنتَ السيفُ إنْ يعدمْ حلياً

وأنتَ السيفُ إنْ يعدمْ حلياً

فلمْ يُعدم فرندُكَ والغرارُ

فلمْ يُعدم فرندُكَ والغرارُ

And you are a sword: if it lacks adornment,

You are the sword, if there is no ornament

yet your watered pattern and cutting edge are not lacking.

Your blade and scabbard are not lacking

وربَّ مطوَّقٍ بالتبرِ يكبو

وربَّ مطوَّقٍ بالتبرِ يكبو

بفارسِهِ وللنقعِ اعتكارُ

بفارسِهِ وللنقعِ اعتكارُ

And many a steed collared with gold stumbles

And many adorned with armor bow down

with its rider, while the dust swirls thick.

To their horseman, though to rust inclined

وزندٍ عاطلٍ يحظى بمدحٍ

وزندٍ عاطلٍ يحظى بمدحٍ

ويُحرَمُهُ الذي فيه السوارُ

ويُحرَمُهُ الذي فيه السوارُ

And an unadorned forearm wins praise,

Many a polished sword gets praise

while the one with a bracelet is denied it.

While the one with engraving is deprived

وقالوا خدُّهُ ماءٌ فقلنا

وقالوا خدُّهُ ماءٌ فقلنا

كأنَّ الماءَ مِنْ دمِهِ عقارُ

كأنَّ الماءَ مِنْ دمِهِ عقارُ

And they said, 'His cheek is water'; we replied:

They said his cheek is water, we said

'As though the water were wine from his blood.'

As if the water were extracted from his blood